These old cars on winter roads

[lloyd3]

My very first car, a '70 Roadrunner,  almost always had a foggy back window in winter, as well as the backseat side windows. My next to last musclecar, a '70 Superbee, had the exact same issues . Both had that same big and slightly curved back window (a very distinctive Mopar shape BTW).  In order to keep visibility good while driving in very cold or soggy weather (or both), I would run the defrost on full hot and mostly full fan and then crack the driver's side window and wing vent a bit. Sometimes that wasn't enough to keep ahead of the heat, so I'd have to pull open the floor vents a bit too. Small price to pay for comfort in those cars, both were alot of fun.  FWIW: the Roadrunner was a one-owner Pennsylvania car with plenty of corrosion issues, the 'Bee was a one-owner Wyoming car with almost zero rust.  Another very distinctive memory of both these cars in winter was that when the call of nature arose, standing near the back of the car to relieve oneself was a noticeably warmer place to perform that act.  The stereo effect of those duel-exhausted 383 Magnums at idle and the warm plumes of almost sweet-smelling, leaded gasoline exhaust swirling around me is vivid for me still. I remember many times where I would look up into the cold dark night full of stars and feel immensely blessed (there might have been a little beer-drinking involved here as well).

[Charger_Fan]

Back when my Charger was a daily driver, periodically the snow, ice & crap would freeze the headlight doors in place, so to keep from damaging the door motor, I would unplug it & leave them open. I never did put snow tires on it, but we also tried not to drive it when the roads were really terrible...that's what this Pinto was for. Actually, if you had snow tires with gnarly tread on a Pinto, they made good winter beaters.


In '89, I got this '72 Satellite for a winter beater, because my growing family had outgrown the Pinto, plus my wife hated it. I DID put snow tires on the Satellite, and it handled the white crap very well. My wife felt embarrassed driving this car because it was wearing primer. Women.   I thought it was great, plus I didn't have to mess with headlight doors, the heater really cooked, AND it did awesome donuts in snowy parking lots! This pic is the first year the Charger was relieved of any winter driving duties. Notice the tarp over the rear window, so the trunk floor would stay dry. Ahhh, the life of owning a Charger.

[cooldude]

Frozen headlight doors...I hadnt thought of that one.  

I wonder how many people back in the day, have been driving these cars back when they were new, in a heavy snow storm or freezing rain, or just plain really cold temperatures came up, and they couldnt get the headlight doors to open?

Imagine being on the road in the winter time, driving all day over slushy roads on a long haul,and when the sun starts to go down, you take a supper break, and pull into some greasy spoon to a meal.

When you get finished eating and get to your car to resume the drive...no headlights!  

Its now dark, youre a long way from home, its winter and snowing, and the headlight doors are frozen in the closed position. What do you do?

(Press panic button at this time, please!)  

I can see where people with poor automotive skills would shy away from buying these cars with hidden headlights, or sell them at first opportunity, after having this happen to them.

Must have been a real bad reputation getter back in the day.

[ws23rt]

I drove my 68 Hemi RR through several winters in the late seventies. I didn't know any better. It was my transport.
One 180mile trip to work was in snow that blew across the road to the point that the hump in the blowing snow was the center divider. I drove next to that hump to know I was in the left lane.
I also had to block the radiator with cardboard to get enough heat inside the car.   That hemi did me well for many years just as reliable as the slant six many bragg about.
That same trek was done in my old 70 charger RT with chains needed for the whole trip.  
In those days getting to work was -the deal- and the cars we drove were the way to get to work.

[Highbanked Hauler]

Drove Sinnamon year round and down to night school all year round back in 80/81.    I put snow tires on the back.   I'm not sure how I survived.    It sucked but we didn't know much better back then. 

    Snow tire were necessary but there were less cars on the road back then and most people used there heads more, less superheros. My 500 was great, it was the first car I had with a sure grip rear. I have started a points ignition below 0 many times. It was life and what everybody did.

[Todd Wilson]

I had to drive my 71 Charger a few winters years ago and it seemed to do fine thru the snow.   I remember as a kid dad and grandpa putting snow tires on for the winter on various cars. Spring time and you swapped the snow tires for the street tires.


Todd

[Kern Dog]

Frozen headlight doors...I hadnt thought of that one.  

Pull into some greasy spoon to a meal.

When you get finished eating and get to your car to resume the drive...no headlights!  

What do you do?

(Press panic button at this time, please!)  

I can see where people with poor automotive skills would shy away from buying these cars with hidden headlights, or sell them at first opportunity, after having this happen to them.

Must have been a real bad reputation getter back in the day.

Not a problem with a 70 model. There was a knob on the electric motor to manually open the doors. Give the doors a few taps to break the ice seal and crank the knob.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

The key was to lift the headlamp doors slightly to make sure they weren't frozen before you hit the headlamp switch. Otherwise the plastic gears in the motor assembly would sometimes strip.

[RallyeMike]

I like the comment about we just didn't know anything better. True.

My daily at one point was 440-4 speed Roadrunner with 3.91 sure grip and studded truck tires. I'd drive it across the mountain pass on compact snow and ice at 70mph and thought it was great fun.

[lloyd3]

From reading this, its starting to sound like Roadrunners were the gateway drug to owning a Charger.

[dual fours]

14" Firestone Town and Country M&S's with studs, and a trunk full of stuff.
I do remember flicking the headlight doors with a hand.

[cooldude]

From reading this, its starting to sound like Roadrunners were the gateway drug to owning a Charger.

Yep, thats how it was for me.

But, I started with an A-body Barracuda, then went to the RRs.   

[Charger_Fan]

The key was to lift the headlamp doors slightly to make sure they weren't frozen before you hit the headlamp switch. Otherwise the plastic gears in the motor assembly would sometimes strip.

I just unplugged the motor & left the doors open for much of the winter. My wife drove it quite a bit back then & I didn't trust her to remember about the headlight doors.

Another "fun" thing about driving anything with a carburetor back then, was that if you had headers, or for some reason your heat riser to the air cleaner wasn't there, on humid snowy & rainy days...if you didn't let the engine warm up enough, the carb would ice up as you drove & stall the engine!  So then you would have to pull over, shut the engine off & wait for the engine heat to melt the ice...usually about 10 minutes.

Oddly enough, the wife didn't like having to pull over & wait when she drove it. Sooo on my Charger, this was the fix. (Please ignore the filthy engine)

[ACUDANUT]

In high school, I had to have my 2 extra ride buddies hop on the trunk lid side that got traction.  A sure grip was a dream back then.

[ACUDANUT]

The key was to lift the headlamp doors slightly to make sure they weren't frozen before you hit the headlamp switch. Otherwise the plastic gears in the motor assembly would sometimes strip.

I just unplugged the motor & left the doors open for much of the winter. My wife drove it quite a bit back then & I didn't trust her to remember about the headlight doors.

Another "fun" thing about driving anything with a carburetor back then, was that if you had headers, or for some reason your heat riser to the air cleaner wasn't there, on humid snowy & rainy days...if you didn't let the engine warm up enough, the carb would ice up as you drove & stall the engine!  So then you would have to pull over, shut the engine off & wait for the engine heat to melt the ice...usually about 10 minutes.

Oddly enough, the wife didn't like having to pull over & wait when she drove it. Sooo on my Charger, this was the fix. (Please ignore the filthy engine)

Never heard of this.  Never happened to me anyway. Carb icing up ?

[green69rt]

I bought my first 69 RT in Idaho and drove it through the winter there.  Never thought much about sliding around, just lived with it.  I used studded snow tires in the winter.  I don't know if you can even get such a thing now    After Idaho I drove it in New Hampshire for a year and Missouri over another 4 years.  Snow tires in the winter and, eventually radials in the good weather.  I remember everyone telling me that FWD cars (starting to become available) were so much better in the snow but I didn't give up my Charger. 

I guess it's just what you get used to.   Everyone had the same problem and we all learned how to drive on snow and ice.   Of course, there were a LOT fewer cars on the road back then so we had more room to maneuver and stay out of trouble.  I would be very wary of driving the same car today, on today"s roads.   More crowded, and there just seems to be a lot more risky drivers.  Used to be it was only crazy hot rod kids (me!) but now a lot more people drive a little crazy only now it's called "aggressive driving".

[ACUDANUT]

Sure seem to be more aggressive women drivers these days too.

[lloyd3]

Aggressive or in-attentive?

[Charger_Fan]

Never heard of this.  Never happened to me anyway. Carb icing up ?

Huh, maybe it was just me then. Did you have headers on your cars back then, or open air cleaners?
I had the same problem on the Charger & my truck, both had headers & neither had the heat tube going to the air cleaner, initially. It only happened on humid, cold days, where ice would form in the carb venturi's & build up to the point where it wouldn't run any longer. After a 10 minute wait, the engine heat would melt the ice & I was good to go.

With the Charger, once I put the super high-tech heat riser on,   it almost eliminated the problem. I didn't have the problem with my other stock vehicles that had exhaust manifolds and factory air cleaners, with the heat riser tube attached.

[DAY CLONA]

For you guys who are old enough to remember when our classic cars were just used cars in every day use, what did you think about driving them on icy and snowy roads?

Back in the day (70's) I drove my Challenger T/A 340/6 4 spd year round, it was my DD/365/24/7 (I still have the car, going on almost 40 yrs now)... after College, when I finally had some money to burn I started to buy C bodies for winter beaters on a yearly basis so the acquired toys could sit the winter out, then summer time they gave up their 440's for any new toy acquired, or a replacement for a motor grenaded in street racing, I drove my 70 Charger as a DD (nice weather) right up to the mid 90's, as well as my 71 Cuda, before succumbing to a "newer" DD...I actually miss driving the old iron on a daily basis, snow or ice was no issue, but the idiots on the road in the last decade or 2, dictate having a DD that's sacrificial

Mike

[Sublime/Sixpack]

Never heard of this.  Never happened to me anyway. Carb icing up ?

Huh, maybe it was just me then. Did you have headers on your cars back then, or open air cleaners?
I had the same problem on the Charger & my truck, both had headers & neither had the heat tube going to the air cleaner, initially. It only happened on humid, cold days, where ice would form in the carb venturi's & build up to the point where it wouldn't run any longer. After a 10 minute wait, the engine heat would melt the ice & I was good to go.

With the Charger, once I put the super high-tech heat riser on,   it almost eliminated the problem. I didn't have the problem with my other stock vehicles that had exhaust manifolds and factory air cleaners, with the heat riser tube attached.

I've heard of carburetor icing but never experienced it.
I have to ask; I see a ratcheting tie down connected to the shock stud, what is the other end connected to?

[flyinlow]

Experienced it on piston engine powered aircraft with a carb. They have a carb heat system the pilot can apply so you don't have to go 10 minutes without power waiting for the ice to melt. Seamed to happen most on a 40-50* F , humid days.

I think it happened once on  TQ equipped car that had the heated air system removed for headers. By the time I pulled over and got the air cleaner off I did not see any ice. After I restarted It ran fine. Might have been bad gas too.

[XH29N0G]

The key was to lift the headlamp doors slightly to make sure they weren't frozen before you hit the headlamp switch. Otherwise the plastic gears in the motor assembly would sometimes strip.

I just unplugged the motor & left the doors open for much of the winter. My wife drove it quite a bit back then & I didn't trust her to remember about the headlight doors.

Another "fun" thing about driving anything with a carburetor back then, was that if you had headers, or for some reason your heat riser to the air cleaner wasn't there, on humid snowy & rainy days...if you didn't let the engine warm up enough, the carb would ice up as you drove & stall the engine!  So then you would have to pull over, shut the engine off & wait for the engine heat to melt the ice...usually about 10 minutes.

Oddly enough, the wife didn't like having to pull over & wait when she drove it. Sooo on my Charger, this was the fix. (Please ignore the filthy engine)

Ingenious, Is that a torque strap too?

[Charger_Fan]

I have to ask; I see a ratcheting tie down connected to the shock stud, what is the other end connected to?

Ingenious, Is that a torque strap too?

Sorry guys, I didn't see your posts until today.

The other end of that strap went to the P/S pump bracket.
The car was involved in a front end accident years ago, and it hit hard enough to shear both motor mounts & the trans mount. The engine & trans broke free & hit the radiator. So my temporary (more like 5 years) fix was to jack up the engine, push it back onto it's mounts & strap it down, so I could move the car under it's own power.